Such a shame we are back to the old rumours and speculation. When we are flying again. Distractions are not what we want. This should be parked until we have some fact, as there is now a danger we are back to muck raking over old ground!
OLM, maybe you can help explain the council's & Allam's position on this a bit more, if you have the information of course. Apologies if this has already been discussed or presented previously. I'm presuming that HCC & the people of Hull want to retain the history of Hull Fair - it's an institution that has been around longer than Hull City AFC have, and maybe HCC are just as adamant about Hull's history (the Fair) as many of we supporters are about retaining the team's historical name ? It certainly seems the Allams wanted to develop the area around the KC, for their own profit obviously, but such development would bring jobs, tax revenue etc etc for the council if the site was enhanced, presumably a larger profit for the council than the rent they get from the stadium and its surrounding land. Would it not make sense for the Allams (or indeed any new owner) to offer to purchase another site in addition to the stadium land to house Hull Fair ? (I'm assuming there is enough land available in the Hull area and appropriate infrastructure (transport mainly) to get Hull Fair punter's to a new site) ? Maybe an arrangement with Haltemprice if a plot large enough is not available in Hull itself ? The Fair would continue to happen, the KC site would be redeveloped and the City of Hull would get the additional job creation from the redevelopment of the KC site businesses created (plus tax revenue). And Hull City AFC (Allam's) would have a ready built home . Not much work would be required to develop an additional site to house Hull Fair I would have thought (just a bit of tarmac on a flat piece of land). Maybe this has already been discussed between the Allams & the Council ?
I think this just breaks down at this exact stage as everyone has their own version of who wanted what and who offered what. And no one can agree. And no one will agree if even those involved can't decide what the truth of it is. Did the council just act unreasonably, or did the Allams expect too much. I'm starting to think it's history and it doesn't matter anymore. What matters is the future and right now we are all guessing and speculating on thin air. And it leads to arguments over stuff that isn't even fact!
Allam went to the council with a proposal he thought they jump at, but they didn't, in fact, what he thought was a full council meeting was just a meeting with Terry Geraghty, who apparently didn't wear a tie and ****ed about with an iPad while they were talking and it all went downhill from there. There have been suggestions that the fair could move to East Park, or to the Humber Bridge car park (as it's not in Hull, I believe that went down particularly badly), but I've no idea if these were seriously considered. The council have said they would sell the stadium if they got a suitable offer, but it doesn't seem like they've got any intention of selling the whole Walton Street site.
Couple of quotes “We will need a bigger stadium somewhere down the line and we’re not willing to extend the KC Stadium on a leasehold… We are willing to do the whole scheme but we need a significant contribution from the council… If they can’t generate their own funds to make a contribution, then give us the freehold of the stadium as their contribution. “ Mr Allam reiterated he wants to buy the KC Stadium and substantially increase its 25,000 capacity but said he had not sought a valuation because the council had indicated it didn’t want to sell. Plans for a £100m sports village adjacent to the stadium – including an Olympic-sized pool and ice arena plus squash, tennis and gymnastics facilities – would only go ahead if he took ownership, Mr Allam added. “You wouldn’t build an extension to your house if it was rented,” he said. The council has set up a working group to look at potential options for the stadium, though the possibility of a joint venture rather than outright sale appears a more favourable proposition.
The Fair could quite easily be situated on East Park. After all in was on the old Park Street site longer then it has been on Walton Street. There has been no further development around the KC since it was built which is disgraceful. The KC Stadium was supposed to kick start the redevelopment of Anlaby Road and the HU3 area, and nothing has happened. Adam Pearson had plans for a hotel, super casino and other stuff when he was chairman. Nothing happened. Instead we have the **** tip which is Walton Street car park used twice a week for a car boot sale and weekly tat market plus the annual Fair for one week of the year. Not to mention the free grazing for the gypos horses. In the context of redevelopment in this city under a Labour council it all sounds a bit familiar. Loads of grandeur showboating ideas ( just before election time) then little or nothing happening from then on. I also hear that it will be a three week Fair in 2017 which will knacker our fixtures up.
I think my point was it never will be settled. So time to move on. It hardly matters now. A bit like when Barmby left... The truth was buried and rumour abound. It was never settled as no one will ever give you the definitive answer. Perceptions and recollections are far too coloured by the individuals Involved to ever work out where the truth is! All you can conclude is that someone is lying. Or everyone is possibly mistaken as to their recollection... What one party swears is the truth the other remembers differently. Compound that with the multiple issues on the table and you have a mess. And that leads to conspiracy theories and speculation. We moved past that in the last year and is time to forgot the past and enjoy today. Until some facts hit the media, as opposed to this ambiguous referencing of possible maybes that may or may not be revealed on the same timescale Diame may well be fit by...
An outstanding post Sir. All true of course. But you do realise I'm just a City fan and Allam is a just a businessman? The war goes on.
A lot of money was spent on sprucing up East Park. Can you imagine the state the gypos would leave it in.
Until he sells and he loses influence over our club and can further no more of his mad schemes then of course what has passed matters. Cherry picking quotes proves nothing except that he wanted it for nothing and never made an offer - as you do when you want to buy something.
I would assume therefore, from what has happened in the past (since Allam got control over the club), any prospective buyer not only has to negotiate a deal with the Allams, but also need to broker a deal with the HCC to assess opportunities for future growth/profit. If the council turn out to be as stubborn with the prospective buyers as they have been with the Allams, then this sale looks like a non-starter to me.
I think what you say is a common-sense expectation of how it might proceed, although your final outcome is not necessarily certain. I am fairly certain that it is well recorded that the purchase of the club, by Allam, was done in haste. I believe they were shocked by what they unearthed (debt, restrictions, etc.) after they signed on the dotted line - if their comments, along with those of Adam Pearson, are to be believed, their process of due diligence was far from professional. I believe, though, that the deadlines of bad-debt and overdue tax made their due diligence window much reduced; although I have heard it suggested that their own greed might of clouded what should have been their better judgment. Personally, I believe their better judgment is a failed concept that has led them into a situation far from their liking. But why should this be expected of a new owner? Time is on their side, many, if not all of the thorny issues are out in the open and simply need exploring further. The Allam family want to move on (it's nonsense that they don't) and the HCC likewise. HCC have been open that stadium purchase is an option. Everything else can change, as it must. Reasonable people, conducting reasoned negotiations can and will find a way forward. The club and city rewards are worthwhile - as long as we gain promotion and stay up for more than a couple of years; which makes investing in at least one striker a total no-brainer.
